The backside of this picture postcard has “Monday, Oct 25, 1948” penciled in script, so we’re guessing that this view of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s yard is from the mid to late 1940s.
The caption under the photo on the postcard reads “Southern Pacific Railway Yards and Shops, Tracy, California.”
If you’re looking at this photograph today, imagine yourself on the roof of the Tracy Transit Center, facing toward the new-fangled overpass that recently opened, taking 11th Street over the Union Pacific tracks.
From your perch, if it was 1948, you’d see the two big water tanks by the “second” roundhouse on the right. Just left of center, the “first” roundhouse is just beyond the left-most water tower.
In the foreground is a string of heavyweight passenger cars, which may (or may not) be painted in SP Daylight colors, and may (or may not) be headed to Lathrop as part of the Sacramento Daylight.
The curve of track at far right is the fabled “Brewery Spur,” which remains in place today and curls along the backside of Tracy, crossing Schulte Road behind Fry Memorial Chapel on its way to butt-ending near Valpico Road.
The card was manufactured by Wayne Paper and Printing of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Here’s an “opposite” view of the same scene, taken from the turntable, between the two roundhouses, probably from the early 1950s:
A view of the SP’s Tracy turntable, looking between the old roundhouses.
Photos from the Railtown Tracy Collection, courtesy of David Jackson.
I would never have guessed this level of activity in Tracy with 2 round houses.
Ain’t that the truth? Every time I drive by on Sixth Street, it’s hard to imagine this was what it looked like!
– D.J.